-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The number of cases of E. coli stemming from a county fair in North Carolina has grown to 38 , including one child who died , the state 's department of health said Monday .

More than 165,000 people attended the Cleveland County Fair , which ended October 7 .

Eight people have been hospitalized for E. coli infections . Two-year-old Gage Lafevers of Bessemer City died Friday , CNN affiliate WBTV reported .

There are more than 700 strains of the bacteria E. coli . Although most of them are harmless , some can cause serious problems by attacking the intestinal tract . Contracting certain forms of E. coli can lead to diarrhea , nausea , dehydration and in some cases , death .

Symptoms of E. coli infection can occur as late as 10 days after exposure , the North Carolina health department said .

`` Not much we can say until things are definitely connected and hopefully we can know soon , '' Cleveland County Fair Manager Calvin Hastings said . `` All we can do is hope and pray for the families . ''

WBTV reported that as many as 75 people who attended the fair have been interviewed by officials , but authorities have yet to discern a possible source of the infection .

Health officials said 22 of the people sickened are children .

The outbreak comes about a year after one at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh affected 27 people . The source of that outbreak was a building that housed animals , officials said .

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CNN 's Joe Sutton contributed to this report .

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2-year-old dies after going to fair in N. Carolina

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38 people have shown signs of the infection

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Officials have yet to pinpoint possible source

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Outbreak comes a year after E. coli scare at the state fair